I Know the Pieces Fit
by MewMidnight
Summary: Kish tries to get over Ichigo by liking Lettuce, but she has a huge crush on Ryou, and Ryou still likes Ichigo! Things couldn't be more complicated for the group. Sequel to "It's Time to Let Go." KishxLettxRyou PaixIchi. YOU pick who Lettuce ends up with!
1. Lettuce's inner conflict

_**Description**__: Pai and Ichigo have been dating for almost a year now, and Kish has developed a little crush on Lettuce. But Lettuce seems to have a crush on Ryou, who has a crush on Ichigo. Ichigo tries to help Lettuce confront her feelings, but will she just get in the way?_

_**Rating:**__ T cursing..._

_**Couples:**__ Pai x Ichigo, Kish x Lettuce x Ryou_

**MewMid**:** HEY! BEFORE YOU READ THE STORY PLEASE READ WHAT I HAVE TO SAY.**

_This story is a sequel to "It's time to let go" __**DO NOT **__start flaming my story just because you don't understand what's going on or that you don't like the couples. If you don't understand, go read the first fic. You don't like the couples, buzz off. BTW, cast your vote in your review for who you think Lettuce should end up with!_

_This is just a continuation on "It's Time to Let Go"._

Otherwise,

Enjoy!

* * *

**Prologue**

What a crazy journey it had been for Ichigo and Pai. Ever since Pai captured and rid the universe of Cray, things had quieted down. Well...Sort of.

Lettuce was now in one of the most complicated positions. Lettuce had always had a crush on Ryou, but is so afraid that he won't return her feelings. Kish, now recovered from the idea of his brother dating the girl he once loved, has developed a little crush on the green haired mew. But one of the biggest problems of all, is Ryou. The blond man can't help himself, and feels guilty for his feelings toward Ichigo. Although she's happy with Pai, he can't help but be jealous.

------

Lettuce sighed as she walked out the side door to the patio outside the cafe. After the final battle, Ryou and Keiichiro had added some new additions to the cafe to bring in more customers. The cafe now had an outdoor patio on the side of the building, it overlooked the beautiful forest surrounding the back side of the cafe.

The day was uncomfortably warm, but the breeze brought refreshing cool air to the exhausted girls and customers.

The green haired mew smiled and placed a tray down on the table, the teens giggled at how cute her uniform was. Lettuce's smile faded as soon as she turned away to go back inside. She was tired of the old routine. But most of all, she was tired of having her feelings ignored.

Everyone who came into the cafe knew Lettuce had a huge crush on the blond manager. The blond man however, ignored her feelings, or at least pretended like he didn't notice.

Ryou was too afraid to be with Lettuce, he still clung to the hope that Ichigo would be dissatisfied with her relationship with Pai and move on. That slim hope seemed to never disappear. Lettuce knew he liked Ichigo, but would never bring the issue up to her red haired friend.

Mint huffed as she carried a tray, the cafe was busy enough to have her working as well. She rolled her eyes when Pai entered the cafe with a tiny bouquet of flowers. Whenever Pai wasn't around Ichigo, he seemed almost identical to his old self. But as soon as the cheerful catgirl approached him, his face brightened and a lighthearted expression appeared on his face.

Ichigo groaned in the kitchen to a certain brunette chef, "Keiichiro we are so busy! Today is awful! I just want it to be summer already!"

"I know what you mean Ichigo-san, but don't worry, summer is right around the corner."

Ichigo rocked back on her heels and set down her empty tray, "Yeah I guess-" She suddenly cut off mid-sentence to take off into the cafe. Keiichiro chuckled, this was a normal occurrence when Pai arrived.

The tall alien let a small smile appear on his face as she ran out and jumped into his arms. Girls around the cafe cooed at the cute couple. Ichigo squeezed him and giggled, "Hey handsome!"

Pai shook his head and set the girl down, "I brought you these."

Ichigo squeaked happily and graciously took the flowers from his hand. A bright smile was plastered on her face. The catgirl stood on her toes and kissed his cheek, "You're so sweet!"

It broke her heart.

Lettuce tried to swallow down the knot in her throat. She hated feeling like this toward anyone, especially her friends. But she couldn't help it, she was truly jealous of Ichigo. She wasn't jealous about her being with Pai necessarily, but more about her happiness.

Everyone seemed to love Ichigo and have so much fun around her. Lettuce blinked a few times, feeling herself want to burst into tears. Pai smiled at Ichigo as she turned on her heel and ran off to put the flowers in water. He glanced over at the green haired mew and waved slightly. Lettuce felt her cheeks turn pink and she turned away from the alien. Pai shrugged it off and went into the kitchen to greet Keiichiro.

Lettuce took a deep breath and walked over to a table that needed to be served. She couldn't focus. Her mind constantly lingered on the happy couple, and how badly she wanted that to be her and Ryou.

Of all people, Ryou came down the stairs of the cafe, finally waking up. He still stayed up nearly all night to do research on specimens and objects Pai brought to him from their planet. Lettuce didn't notice him as she numbly took the girls orders. Nothing really felt the same.

Her gloomy thoughts were interrupted by Zakuro tapping on her shoulder. Lettuce looked over at the model, no real expression on either of their faces.

"Hey, Keiichiro and Pai want to see us."

Lettuce nodded and followed Zakuro back into the kitchen. She kept her eyes locked on the ground in front of her.

"So Pai and I were thinking, how about we close the cafe early, and go out to dinner and a night club together. It'll be like a party night!"

Keiichiro smiled and made motions with his hands as he spoke, Pai stood beside him with a tiny smile barely apparent. Ichigo twirled her hair, lost in her thoughts as she stared at the tall alien.

Lettuce felt her heart sink, she didn't want to go out with everyone. It would just make her more and more miserable.

The girls all agreed to it and Lettuce didn't say a word. She knew no one would care if she objected, so why bother?

The cafe was going to close an hour early, and everyone was going to meet at a nice restaurant called the Grand Marlin. It was on the coast of Tokyo a little ways down from the harbor. After dinner, they planned on going to the club just a few blocks away.

That evening....

Her body felt numb as she stepped out of the car. Zakuro had driven the girls and was dressed in a metallic gun-metal gray dress. It was short and had a halter top, her shoes sparkled as she walked. Ichigo leaped out of the car shortly after Lettuce, wearing a sequin red spaghetti-strap dress. Lettuce didn't say anything as they walked up to the front of the restaurant. Mint huffed after the other three, in her dark blue silk dress. A little white bow was tied in her hair and bounced as she followed the girls.

Lettuce felt out of place. She hadn't really talked to any of them all day about what she thought. Her dress was a white spaghetti-strap with a large green bow tied around her waist. Ichigo began blabbering on about how excited she was to be going to a club, but she felt bad that Purin and Tart weren't old enough to go too.

"You okay Lettuce?"

Lettuce's head jerked up and she felt embarrassed, all three girls were just staring. Zakuro's cool voice startled her. Ichigo cocked her head to the side,

"Yeah, you seem off today."

Mint nodded and frowned, "Aren't you happy? I mean, this is a fantastic restaurant, and then, we are going to a club!"

Lettuce nodded and faked a smile, "I am, I'm just..."

"Oh my god here are the guys!" Ichigo chimed darting over to the shiny black SUV. Keiichiro stepped out of the driver's seat and waved,

"Hey girls! You all look lovely!"

Ryou had his usual white shirt black strappy shirt on with nice gray slacks. Pai was in a black button-up shirt and black pants, his hair was down. Kish had a huge grin on his face as he stepped out of the SUV. His outfit was a dark green button-up shirt and dark brown pants. Keiichiro, like Pai, was in all black.

The girl's attention was taken from Lettuce and was now on the handsome guys. Ichigo squeaked and threw her arms around Pai,

"Pai you look so handsome! You don't even know!" Pai shook his head and kissed her forehead. Ryou smiled at the other three,

"You guys ready for the club?"

Mint giggled and turned slightly, "Oh yes we are."

Keiichiro chuckled and walked up to the welcome podium, "Not before we have dinner Ryou."

Lettuce felt her heart sink once again, this was going to be a long night.

* * *

_**MewMid**__: Awww, poor Lettuce! But hey, things will look up for her, don't worry! :D_

_**R and R please!!!**_

* * *

**IMPORTANT!**

**I WANT VOTES!**

**Who should Lettuce end up with?**

**Kish?**

**Ryou?**

**Keiichiro? **

**Other?**


	2. Dance Club Drama

_**Description**__: Lettuce barely makes it through dinner and then has to suffer through a crazy night club. Ichigo tries to find a way to help her with her situation..._

_**Rating**__: T _

_**MewMid**__: It's so sad, an emo Lettuce, but hey, she'll be happier when you vote for her next man! :D_

* * *

The group entered the cafe, everyone in high spirits, except one.

Lettuce's eyes were glued to the ground as she walked into the large restaurant. Ichigo giggled and clung to Pai's arm the whole way in. Mint was busy talking Zakuro's ear off as Ryou pulled out a chair and smiled back at the girls.

He was right in front of Ichigo and smiled, as if hinting for her to sit there. Pai inconspicuously nudged her over to the next chair that he pulled out for her. Ryou sat down in the chair he pulled out and brushed off Pai's cold move.

Lettuce felt a little tinge of hope when she walked over to the table, the chair next to Ryou was open. That little sliver of hope was crushed when Mint just flopped down into the chair. Lettuce felt a little unnerved by her forward action. Lettuce kindly took a seat between Kish and Zakuro.

The green haired alien smiled a big toothy grin as she sat down beside him, "Oooh, I get the cute one!"

Lettuce blushed and looked away from the table. Pai and Ryou chuckled. Ryou kept shooting glances at an oblivious Ichigo the entire night. Pai, however, noticed his glances. The violet haired alien kept quiet about it and decided not to say anything.

Zakuro flirted with Keiichiro throughout the dinner, the two actually had a lot in common. Mint, on the other hand, would not stop flirting with Ryou. Lettuce bit her lip and then abruptly stood up, "Excuse me." She said quietly, before darting off to the ladies room.

Kish frowned and propped his head up on his hand, "Lame..."

Ichigo frowned as well, "Does anyone know what's bothering her?"

Mint scoffed, "Ichigo, something is always bothering her, it's what happens when you have no self esteem."

Lettuce rushed away and went into the ladies room. Her eyes watered, she didn't want to be here. All she was doing was sitting and watching other people flirt, and worst of all, with the guy she liked. Mint would not back off of Ryou since they arrived.

She walked over and looked in the mirror, she felt disappointed with what she saw. Lettuce did love her hair down, but she still didn't feel pretty. She didn't understand how the other girls were so confident in themselves. Her eyesight went blurry, a terrible ache plagued her throat and chest.

Tears rolled over the corners of her eyes and down her cheeks, she shook her head and covered her face in her hands. She let a few quiet sobs escape her lips, she felt so sad and lonely.

The door suddenly swung open and cause a shock to run up her spine. Quickly, Lettuce wiped her cheeks off and turned toward the mirror in a panic. A friendly face appeared beside her in the mirror. It was Ichigo.

"Lettuce, are you all right?"

The green haired mew smiled and shook her head, "Nothing is wrong Ichigo-san, don't worry about it."

"You're lying."

Lettuce felt her heart sink when she said those words, she didn't know what to say. Ichigo gently turned Lettuce to face her,

"You can tell me, Lettuce, I'm your friend."

Ichigo's eyes seemed genuine and kind. Lettuce took a shaky deep breath, "I'm- I'm okay Ichigo...really.."

"Lettuce, what about tonight bothers you? You can tell me, I won't tell the others."

Ichigo stared into her friends sad blue eyes, they were fighting back tears as she spoke those words. Lettuce blinked a few times and looked down,

"I'm just... I feel bad because...I'm jealous..."

"Of what?"

"All of you..."

Ichigo seemed taken aback, "What do you mean?"

Lettuce rocked back on her heels and wiped a stray tear that stained her cheek.

"I just feel like, all of you are so much better than me..."

Ichigo gasped and grabbed her friend's shoulders, "Lettuce!"

Lettuce felt nervous, as if she had done something wrong. Ichigo shook her head,

"-Don't ever think that!"

A small pause came between them. Lettuce couldn't look Ichigo in the eyes and looked away once again, "but, I-"

"But nothing Lettuce! You're beautiful and smart and so much fun to be around! I can't believe you would be jealous of us, or think that anyone was better than you. Lettuce, no one is better than you, you hear me? No one."

Lettuce felt herself smile, Ichigo was a true friend. "Th-Thank you Ichigo-san, you made me feel better."

Ichigo smiled and hugged her, "I'm glad, now-" She leaned away and looked into her eyes playfully, "-Let's go get you your man!"

Lettuce felt herself blush again as Ichigo pulled her out of the bathroom by her wrist. The two made their way back to the table to join the others. Kish seemed to perk up once Lettuce came back.

Kish stared at her as she sat down beside him, "Everything okay?"

Lettuce smiled at him and nodded, "Everything's going to be fine."

------

After dinner, the group was very eager to go to the dance club. It was a very high end club that many people came to on friday and saturday nights.

As soon as they arrived, Ichigo was the first one on the dance floor, dragging Pai with her. Kish had a huge devious grin on his face and as he was about to ask Lettuce to dance, a certain blond interjected.

"Hey-"

Lettuce perked up and felt tense at the sound of her crush's voice, he walked up beside her, "-Wanna' dance?"

Lettuce blushed profusely and nodded, "Y-Yeah sure!"

Kish groaned as the two left him with Mint on the dance floor. Mint didn't seem happy about it either.

Lettuce couldn't stop blushing, even on the dance floor. Ryou was all over her and it made her very nervous and giddy. Lettuce had a cute, but shy smile on her face the entire time. Ichigo was dancing with Pai nearby, the redhead giggled and pulled Pai down to her ear,

"Lettuce is finally having fun!"

Pai glanced over at the green haired mew and nodded, "Seems so, when would you like to go?"

Ichigo turned to face him, she wrapped her arms around him as he leaned down again,

"You wanna' go already?"

He shook his head and got close to her ear, "Not really, I just wanted us to spend some time alone tonight as well."

Ichigo blushed and turned around to dance again. Pai chuckled and put his hands around her waist, he couldn't help but catch Ryou staring at Ichigo. Pai's blood ran cold, he didn't know what Ryou's problem was, he was already dancing with one girl.

About an hour later, Zakuro and Keiichiro left the club together, as did Ichigo and Pai. Pai tickled Ichigo as they got into his car and drove off. Ichigo couldn't help but notice the alien seemed deep in thought.

"Pai- don't tell me something is bothering you too!" She claimed, leaning over the armrest to put her hand on his thigh. Pai smiled slightly,

"Just slightly, no need to fret."

Ichigo laughed and shook her head, "What is it?"

Pai seemed reluctant in his response, he looked out the window a few times before uttering a reply.

"Ryou was bothering me tonight."

Ichigo tilted her head and furrowed her eyebrows together, "How so?"

"He wouldn't stop looking at you, and then tried to pull out your chair for you. It just bothered me a little, but don't worry about it, I'll talk to him monday."

Ichigo shook her head and grabbed her old drink from the cup holder, "Pai that's a really bad idea."

Pai took a quick glance at her, "Why would you say that?"

"Because Pai.. I really don't want to have a bunch more drama! I mean, he has enough going on with Lettuce and Kish."

Pai nodded and sighed, "He also seems to have a problem with staring at you. It irritates me that now that your taken he decides to make moves and gestures to gain attention."

-------

Lettuce decided to sit down after dancing for a long while. Ryou got a quick drink and went right back out to the dancefloor, completely leaving Lettuce at the table. Kish moped his way over to her table, finally free of Mint's grasp.

"Hey." He said coolly, sitting down across from her. Lettuce ran a hand through her now messy hair,

"Hey."

Kish glanced out at Ryou and Mint, who were now dancing all over each other. Kish made a disgusted face, "I'll never dance with her again, jeez..."

Lettuce didn't respond, she stared out at the dance floor. She had felt so happy and energetic after she and Ichigo talked, then she got to dance with Ryou, but now the sad feeling returned. Her gloom was apparent to the green haired alien opposite of her. Kish frowned,

"You know, if you like him, why don't you tell him. I mean-" She quickly glanced over at him with a worried expression, he continued,

"-You have liked him for as long as I can remember, and never made a move. Go do it before that stupid bird girl gets to him."

There was a long pause, Lettuce stared at Kish's bright eyes. He suddenly felt very frustrated with the girl, "Why are you staring at me like that?"

Lettuce leaned back a little and frowned slightly at his sudden irritation. Kish huffed, "You like him, go make a damn move! God dammit this is so stupid. I give up on you girls. Good luck with him, I hope you end up happy." His words sounded bitter and were like salt on an open wound. Lettuce felt like she had somehow hurt Kish.

The amber eyed alien stood up and left the club in blind frustration. He griped and grit his teeth the entire way out, "Fuckin' mews... Yeah... Fall for another stupid ass girl who doesn't like you...That's smart..."

Shortly after Kish's departure, Lettuce tired of watching Mint and Ryou together. The two obviously had some sort of chemistry, and Lettuce didn't want to see it progress.

------

Ichigo laid awake after sharing a few intimate hours with Pai. She couldn't help but ponder about Lettuce and her crush on Ryou.

Ichigo sighed quietly, _could Ryou still have feelings for me? That'll be awful..._

"I thought I told you that you need rest." Pai's cool voice disturbed her thoughts. Ichigo smiled and turned toward him, his hard body against hers.

"I'm sorry. I just can't help but think about Lettuce and how I feel bad that Ryou might still like me!" She claimed, looking away from his stormy eyes. Pai sighed and pulled her close,

"Ichigo, there is only so much you can do for her. You've got to let it go eventually, let her work things out, I'm sure she'll make the right decision."

Ichigo groaned and flopped her head onto his firm chest, "I know- It's just... I'm worried because Kish likes her, but she likes Ryou, and if Ryou likes me, then it ruins everything. I feel bad for forcing Kish to move on, and then as soon as he likes another girl, she doesn't return his feelings."

Pai took a deep breath, "Ichigo-"

She pulled her head back up and looked into his eyes, a slight pout on her lips.

"-You can't save everyone. Their lives are beyond your control, let them try to put the pieces together themselves and see what happens. All you can do is be there for Lettuce to confide in, and let her make her own decision."

Ichigo sighed and smiled slightly, "I love you, thanks sweetheart. I'll try..."

* * *

**MewMid**: Okies, more fluff and drama with Lettuce. I kinda' feel bad for making things so hard for her... But hey...

**CAST YOUR VOTES!**

**Kish, Ryou, Keiichiro, or Other! **


	3. A new guy on the scene

_**Description**__: A cute guy at the cafe keeps flirting with Lettuce, and Ryou feels overwhelmed after talking to Ichigo, as does Keiichiro. Who is the cute guy though?_

_**Rating**__: T cursing_

* * *

Lettuce hadn't slept well. Her eyes hurt and felt dry, dark rings hung on her pale cheeks, what an awful way to start the day.

Ryou groaned as he pulled on his shirt before heading downstairs. Things were so complicated now. He liked Ichigo, who loved Pai, Lettuce and Mint both like him, and Kish likes Lettuce, he was ready to give up.

The blond walked through the main part of the cafe, but noticed that Ichigo wasn't there. He paused and stared for a few moments. Slowly he turned and walked back up the stairs to the girls dressing/locker room.

He knocked and put his ear to the door,

"Come in, I'm dressed." Ichigo called out to him.

Ryou entered the room and glanced at the catgirl.

"Taking forever to get dressed strawberry-head?" He questioned with a hint of a smile. Ichigo huffed and pulled her shoe on,

"Ha-Ha Shirogane. What do you need?" She asked as she struggled to pull the untied shoe on. Ryou shook his head,

"I just came to talk."

Ichigo didn't look up, "Yeah?"

He was quiet for a few moments, but felt obligated to ask her about her relationship. His feelings for her hadn't gone away, no matter how hard he tried to convince himself.

"What Shirogane?" She snapped, fidgeting with the other shoe now. Ryou came back to reality,

"What is going on between you and Pai nowadays?"

Ichigo stopped battling the shoe and looked up at her boss, "What do you mean?"

The blond shifted his weight and looked her in the eye, "I mean, what do you see in him?"

Ichigo felt almost offended by his question, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing- It's just a question, I mean... No one ever even thought you and Pai, of all people, would get together, I'm curious as to how it's going."

Ichigo huffed and pulled at the stubborn shoe once again, "We're great, he's amazing. He's protective loyal, everything a human guy isn't."

Her words stung a little, "So you wouldn't even give me a chance?"

Ichigo finally yanked on the shoe and shot a death glare at him, "Are you trying to tell me to break up with Pai?"

There was a stifling pause. Ryou felt as though he was walking on landmines now, his next words were vital.

"Well... I just... I just don't see how you two would get along."

Ichigo stood up, her eyes locked on his, she was fuming.

"I'm very happy with Pai, and although we seem really different, we get along great. We don't fight, we never argue, I mean, yeah, everyone has differences, but they say opposites attract right? Ryou I would never dump Pai for you. You missed your chance. Besides, I could never do that to Lettuce."

Ryou stood silently and let her words sink in, Ichigo brushed passed him to the door. Ryou quickly turned and held the door shut,

"Ichigo I didn't-"

"Let go." Her words stung like poison and her eyes were just as deadly. He did as he was told and backed away from the door as she stormed out.

Her bitter mood quickly changed as she saw Pai coming up the stairs. She felt relieved and smiled as she wrapped her arms around him.

"Aww I'm so glad to see you!"

Pai embraced her gently, "I'm glad. I have some work I need to get done today on the ship, but I hope you have a wonderful day, and I'll come see you after work if you'd like me to."

Ichigo nodded happily as the two made their way down the stairs holding hands. Ichigo nodded and kissed his cheek, "That sounds fantastic!"

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Keiichiro kept glancing out of the kitchen window at the now full cafe. He felt different today. He rarely got angry, or much less upset with anyone close to him. But he couldn't help but be furious with Ryou.

Keiichiro yanked the bag of powdered sugar off the counter next to him and poured it over the french toast. He looked out once more, he saw Lettuce. Poor Lettuce.

Keiichiro shook his head and bit his lip, looking back down into the pan. He couldn't believe Ryou could just string her along like that, and chase after Ichigo while she was happy with Pai. Keiichiro anxiously looked back out at the busy cafe, Lettuce was taking someones order.

A sudden pain shot through his hand, he yanked his hand back, the hot pan had scalded the side of his left hand.

"Augh! Fuck!" He snapped clasping the injured limb. He heard a small gasp from behind him, he whipped his head in the direction of the tiny sound, it was Purin.

The blond girl covered her mouth, "Wow Akasaka-san, I've never heard you say that na no da!"

Keiichiro stood upright, his hermit posture making him look wild. He felt bad, "I'm sorry you heard that Purin, I just burned my hand."

Out in the cafe, Lettuce sighed as she walked over to a gentleman sitting alone.

"Good morning sir, may I take your order?"

The young man looked up at her and smiled. Lettuce felt her cheeks grow pink, what a gorgeous smile it was. He had light brown sideswept hair and bright blue eyes. Her heart raced and she felt butterflies in her stomach.

"Hey, yeah, I'll take a rasberry tart with a sweet tea, if that's all right."

Lettuce nodded with a silly smile on her face, "Of course."

The guy chuckled, "I don't mean to sound bold, but I don't know if anyone tells you this, but you're really cute when you blush."

Her cheeks flushed a dark pink and she clasped her small clipboard to her chest, "Thank you sir! I'll go get your order- er- It'll be right up!"

She quickly walked away to go to the kitchen. Keiichiro observed the entire event, soaking his hand in cold water. He grit his teeth, he really cared about Lettuce. He had always thought she was the sweetest and most kind-hearted of the girls, and he wanted to see her happy.

Keiichiro sighed as Ryou entered the kitchen. The blond yawned, "Keiichiro, I'm taking a nap, I'm very tired, I was up late last night."

Keiichiro didn't look back from the sink, "Fine." The way he said it sounded colder than he meant it, he rolled his eyes as Ryou probed,

"You okay Keiichiro?"

"Yes-" the brunette seethed, "-I just burned my hand."

"Oh- Well, Be careful."

"Mhm.."

Keiichiro felt relieved when Ryou left the kitchen. The chef shook his head and put his hands on the counter, bowing his head, he needed a day off.

After Keiichiro calmed down a bit, he returned to cooking. Lettuce brought the cute guy his tart.

"Here you are sir. I hope you enjoy it."

She felt nervous and shaky as she spoke, his kind blue eyes looked up at her like a puppy, "Thanks so much."

Lettuce nodded shyly and placed his drink down as well, "And your tea, call me if you need anything."

"I'd need your number to do that."

His comment threw her off, the dark blush returned, was he really flirting with her?!

Zakuro shook her head when she saw Lettuce's blush, "How childish, but cute." She said quietly to Ichigo. The catgirl nodded and smiled as well,

"I think it's adorable!"

Mint rolled her eyes, "Wait 'till he gets to know her, if he doesn't love books or bookworms, he'll be long gone."

Zakuro and Ichigo shook their heads at Mint's negative comment and continued working, unlike the blue haired girl. The rest of the day went by pretty quickly, the flirtatious guy really cheered Lettuce up, and boosted her self esteem. She smiled the rest of the day, even after he was gone.

Even after hours, on her way home, Lettuce couldn't help but think about his beautiful eyes and smile. He was so cute!

When she laid down to sleep that night, her thoughts resided on that cute boy she just met. Maybe it would be best to see someone outside her normal group of friends, less drama perhaps?

* * *

_**MewMid:**__ Oh- a cute fluffy chappie! :3 And the next one will be dark and gloomy once again... sort of. Please let me know what you think, and don't worry, Kish will be back soon. ;D_

**PLEASE**** R and R!!! It takes a whole freakin' two seconds...come on now...**


	4. Keiichiro is Pushed too far

_**Description**__: Lettuce runs into that guy again on her way to the cafe, Ryou can't help but think about Ichigo, and after talking to Keiichiro about it, he pushes Keiichiro over the edge. For the first time in a long time, our favorite chef is pretty pissed. _

_**Rating**__: T+ mostly cursing, but a little suggestive at the beginning._

* * *

Ryou stretched out in his bed, the girls were getting dressed for work about this time. He yawned, he hadn't been sleeping well lately.

The smell of pastries wafted through the entire building, Keiichiro was working his magic in the kitchen.

There was a light knock at Ryou's door, "Come in." He said, yawning again shortly after. Ichigo entered his room, Ryou immediately sat up in his bed, "Ichigo?"

Ichigo smiled sweetly at him, "I have some news."

The blond stared blankly at her, suddenly feeling rather excited.

"What is it?!" He asked, restraining the urge to sound anxious.

She walked over and sat on the edge of his bed, "You were right Shirogane, Pai and I are too different to be together."

Ryou felt his body tingle, was she serious? Or was this just a joke to get back at him for the other day?

Ichigo looked at him seductively, "So I came here to sleep with you."

Ryou felt his jaw drop slightly, he was at a loss of words. Ichigo leaned forward and gently kissed him, Ryou felt his whole body nervous and excited.

A pot dropped downstairs and jerked Ryou awake. He sat up in his bed and looked around in a heated panic. It was a dream.

Ryou exhaled forcefully and flopped back down on his bed, "Dammit."

Meanwhile...

Lettuce hurried down the sidewalk, she couldn't believe she was late. She had put a little extra effort into getting ready this morning, just in case that guy came back. As she was rushing down the sidewalk, she felt silly for doing that. It's not like he would go back again to the cafe.

She ate her words. Coming down the sidewalk opposite her, was that cute guy from yesterday. Her heart beat fast and she stopped running. He had a cute husky dog with him, it was happily trotting alongside him. A bright smile appeared on his face,

"Hey again!"

Lettuce felt her cheeks getting pink again, she clasped her hands together and shyly replied,

"Hello..."

"It's a gorgeous day today, do you have to work today?"

The green haired girl nodded, now feeling sad that she had to, "I do, but you're right, it is so pretty today!"

The guy smiled, "My name is Shinji by the way."

"I'm Lettuce." She said, looking down at her shoes, she suddenly felt very nervous. Shinji smiled and walked a little closer,

"Well if you aren't working later tonight, maybe we could meet up? I'd love to take a walk with you or something."

Lettuce felt like she could jump for joy, her eyes flew up to his, they were bright and happy, "That sounds great!"

Shinji smiled, "You've made my day Lettuce. Here-" He pulled a little piece of paper out of his pocket, "-here's my number, text or call me when you're ready."

Lettuce nodded, a big cheesy smile still plastered on her face. He waved and smiled at her once more before walking off down the sidewalk.

She happily skipped to the cafe and was joyful all day long. Unlike a certain alien that is...

Kish was laying on his side in his shower. He felt miserable, he had snapped at Lettuce for no reason, and didn't have the guts to go down to the cafe. Water poured down on the right side of his face, the left side of his skull slightly ached from resting on the fiberglass for so long.

A sigh escaped his lips, he opened one eye and observed the drain in front of him. He closed his eye, he groaned and sat up in the shower. He sat with his legs crossed in front of him, his hair dreaded to his forehead and water running down his cheeks. He must do something, he wasn't going to lose Lettuce like he did Ichigo.

Ryou entered the kitchen, he flopped down at the small table near the huge pantry. Keiichiro was busy baking, Ryou interrupted him, "Keiichiro, how's it going?"

Keiichiro sighed and continued rushing to bake the tasty treats, "It's going."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm just exhausted."

Ryou sighed and leaned back in the chair, he placed his feet on the small table, "Why?"

"Because I'm working so hard Ryou." His words sounded bitter, it surprised Ryou.

The blond stared at his lifelong friend, "Jeez, what has you so bitter lately?"

There was a pause. The brunette bit his lip, he didn't want to say anything, but he knew he should. Keiichiro exhaled slowly and turned around, he leaned against the countertop.

"You really want to know what's bothering me Ryou?" He asked genuinely, looking at his old friend's eyes. Ryou nodded and stared intently.

Keiichiro took a deep breath, "Well... I just am bothered about how immature you're acting with the girls. I heard about what you talked to Ichigo about, the girls wouldn't stop talking about it yesterday. I know your love life isn't my business, but don't you think it's a bit cruel to keep stringing Lettuce along after you? She has liked you for so long and you just brush her off to go after a girl who is happy and in a relationship?!" His voice seemed to pick up at the end, a more frustrated tone became apparent. Ryou stared in disbelief at him,

"You're kidding me! Why do you give a shit Keiichiro?" Ryou snapped, his mentioning of Ichigo offending him. Keiichiro bit his lip and shook his head,

"You don't get-"

"No! Keiichiro- You don't get it! Ichigo has been leading me on for as long as I can remember, I don't flirt with Lettuce, and I don't even really talk to her. I don't know how it concerns you whatsoever!"

This angered Keiichiro further, "You're kidding me Ryou! It concerns me because not only are they my employees, but because they are also my friends. I love those girls, and I can't stand seeing a stupid punk like you mess with almost every one of them!"

Ryou stood up angrily from his chair, and yelled back at Keiichiro. By this time, Ichigo, Zakuro, Mint, and Purin were peeking in the kitchen through the small order window. Lettuce was just coming in the doors.

"Keiichiro why the hell do you care?!" Ryou snapped, walking up to the chef. Keiichiro stood upright, towering over Ryou,

"I already told you, I love those girls and hate seeing them upset! All you do is flirt with which ever girl is available to you and lead her on to like you, then when another girl comes along, you go drooling after them like a starved dog. And you can't just give Lettuce a chance can you?! Or leave Ichigo alone perhaps? Did you ever think of what Pai would do to you if he found out you were cornering his girlfriend?!"

Ryou got right up in Keiichiro's face, gritting his teeth, "You're a liar. You're the one always playing 'mister nice guy'. Oh yeah, look at you, you're all nice and sweet, you just have a heart of gold huh Keiichiro? No fault there, you're fucking perfect, I forgot."

Keiichiro rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, "Don't start Ryou. At least I don't give the girls a sympathetic crotch to cry on."

The girls all covered their mouths, even Zakuro. Ichigo looked back as Lettuce approached them with a 'deer in headlights' expression.

Ryou threw his arms up, "You've got to be fucking kidding me Keiichiro! You're the one always flirting with them and checking them out when they aren't looking!"

"What?!" Keiichiro blinked and leaned forward, "What the hell are you talking about?!"

Ryou shook his head, "You know what?! You're a lying asshole Keiichiro, and all the girls now know the real you."

Keiichiro shook his head, "This is childish. You're so immature Ryou, I'm leaving."

Ryou scoffed and followed the chef as he walked out of the kitchen, "Fine, fucking great! I'll have a god-damn party and go after whoever the hell I want! You're not my fucking father Keiichiro!" He screamed after him as the brunette left the cafe.

Ryou looked over at the girls, all were staring at him in awe. Ryou took a deep breath and leaned his head back for a few seconds. As he pulled his head back to normal position, he stared at them, "Get to work."

Ichigo shook her head and stepped forward, "What the hell is going on Shirogane? How on Earth did you get Keiichiro so upset?"

Ryou brushed passed her without giving her a second glance, "I said get to work."

The angry blond man walked up the stairs without another word, leaving the girls in the empty cafe.

Zakuro shook her head and crossed her arms, "I don't believe it."

Purin shook her head as well, "I've never seen Akasaka so angry na no da!"

Lettuce had her hands over her mouth, she took a deep breath, "What happened?"

Mint rolled her eyes and took a seat at the nearest table, "Ryou is a little flirtatious and it pissed off Keiichiro. Who knew he was so easy to piss off?"

Ichigo huffed and shot a death glare at Mint, "Keiichiro didn't do anything wrong! Ryou was the one lying, he's been flirting with all of us, he flirts all the time. I totally understand why Keiichiro would be mad."

Lettuce was silent, as was Zakuro and Purin. Mint returned the glare at Ichigo, "So do you."

"I do not! What the hell is your problem!?" Ichigo snapped taking a few steps toward Mint's table. Zakuro glanced over at Mint,

"Mint, you're wrong." She stated coldly, here icy glare piercing though Mint. Mint sighed and looked away from both of them,

"Whatever."

* * *

_**MewMid:**__Jeez that was fun to write! But please don't try and tell me that isn't believable, because if Keiichiro and Ryou have been around each other that long, they would know how to push the other ones buttons. And besides... Keiichiro has a little crush on a certain green haired mew, it would probably make anyone mad if they saw their best friend flirting with their crush, then leaving them broken and upset. _

_**R and R! **_


	5. It's Him

_**Description**: After the terrible incident at the cafe, the girls decide that they should call it quits for the day. There is too much tension going on. Lettuce goes on a date with Shinji and calls Ichigo afterwards, but something goes very wrong..._

_**Rating**: T Just because I can. XD_

_**MewMid:** See? When you review, I update, it's motivation, so if you're enjoying this story, then at least leave me a review! :3 I love the feedback, positive/negative whatever! :D_

* * *

The girls decided not to stay. They deliberated for at least an hour about whether or not to check on Ryou, or to leave, or to call Keiichiro. The decision was made, they would close up the cafe before anyone got here, and go home.

As Lettuce walked home from the drama filled cafe, she decided to call Shinji. He picked up right away, "Hello?"

"Hi Shinji-san, It's Lettuce."

"Hey Lettuce, ready for that date?"

She resisted the urge to giggle and jump up and down, "Yes!"

Shinji chuckled, "All right, well I'll be there in a little while! Bye!"

"Bye!" Her smile was big and bright, she was ecstatic to have a date with such a cute guy. All negative thoughts seem to fade away. She didn't even think of where he was going to meet her, or how he somehow knew where she was.

After getting herself ready, Lettuce's doorbell rang. Of course it was Shinji, he looked very handsome in a dark blue button up shirt and some dark jeans. Lettuce blushed when she saw him,

"You look nice Lettuce." He said kindly, holding out his hand for her to take. With an even darker blush, Lettuce followed him as he led her down the sidewalk. The two ate at a local cafe, and spent the day talking and getting to know each other. It seemed as though they had so much in common. He was smart, played tennis, loved the ocean, and was an honor student.

After a wonderful lunch, he took her for a walk as the sun set, back to her house. Shinji held her hand gently and kept her close the entire walk home. Lettuce had been nervous and giddy since they had met up today. She hadn't stopped smiling.

As they approached her front door she turned and faced him, "Thank you so much Shinji, I had a wonderful time!"

He smiled warmly, his gorgeous blue eyes staring into her deep blue ones. Shinji nodded and clasped both of her hands, "You're a truly amazing girl Lettuce, I would love to go out again sometime."

Lettuce felt her cheeks grow pink again and her stomach flutter, "I would love to!"

Shinji smiled and nodded, "Sounds great! I had so much fun I just..."

He trailed off and looked down, a wide smile on his face, Lettuce leaned down to look into his eyes, "What Shinji?"

He chuckled and looked up at her again, "I had so much fun tonight, I just don't want it to end. Sorry if I sound silly."

Lettuce shook her head, "You don't sound silly, you're very sweet."

After a few moments, Lettuce realized she felt the same, the thought of him leaving made her sad. As she looked down she saw a small stain on his shirt, "Oh- Shinji-"

He tilted his head, "What?"

"Your shirt! That must have been from when I tripped with the ice cream! I'm so sorry!"

Shinji glanced down briefly and laughed, "Oh it's all right."

"No- No please come inside and let me try and get the stain out. It was my fault."

Shinji nodded, "I'll come in for a bit if it's okay."

Lettuce led him inside and next to her laundary room. Shinji removed his shirt and handed it to her, "Thank you Lettuce, you're very kind."

Lettuce blushed like mad when she saw him shirtless. But then felt a shock run up her spine when she saw his scar, she then became very concerned, "Shinji! Your scar?!"

He looked down at his chest, a brutal looking diagonal scar went all the way across his chest. It looked deep and as though it was very painful. Lettuce frowned as she threw the shirt in the wash. "What happened?" She asked, her voice full of worry.

Shinji's smile faded and he slowly looked back up at her, "Pai did this to me."

---

Ichigo hummed as she made her way up the stairs, she could hear a shower running.

"Pai, are you taking a shower?" She called over as she walked up to the steamy room. The door was half open and Pai was inside.

"Yes, I am."

He opened the door and Ichigo paused and stared. She giggled, seeing him with only a towel always made her giddy and have butterflies. Pai shook his head as she ogled him. He had a white towel around his waist and nothing else. Ichigo walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist,

"Now look what you did." She said quietly, Pai smiled slightly,

"What is that?"

"Now I have this weakness for seeing you shirtless."

Pai leaned in close to her face, "Is that so?"

Their intimate moment was interrupted by Ichigo's cellphone ringing. The catgirl groaned and pulled the phone out of her pocket, Pai shook his head, "Don't get it."

Ichigo shook her head, "I have to check, what if it's my parents?"

She pulled out her small pink phone and saw Lettuce on the caller ID.

"That's wierd."

Pai tilted his head, "What's so peculiar?"

"It's Lettuce."

Pai shrugged and watched as she answered the tiny phone.

"Hello? Lettuce?"

Lettuce sounded quiet and distant, "Ichigo?"

"Yeah, what's up?"

"I was wondering what you're doing to-tonight."

Ichigo frowned when she stuttered, she covered the phone and motioned for Pai to come over there. Pai gave her a confused look, Ichigo whispered to him, "Something's wrong, she stuttered and is way quieter than normal, listen to this and see if it sounds wierd to you."

Pai nodded and leaned in to where his long pointed ear was beside the tiny phone.

"Ichi-Ichigo?"

"Yeah, I'm here, sorry about that. What were you saying?"

"I...I was wondering if you were free to come over tonight?"

Pai listened intently and covered the phone, he whispered to Ichigo, "Ask her if someone is there, I can hear someone in the room with her."

Ichigo nodded and continued, "Uhm, sure, is there anyone else over there with you?"

There was a short pause, Pai stood upright and turned to face Ichigo.

Lettuce sounded stifled, "No- there..isn't. Would you like to..come over?"

Ichigo looked at Pai with a questioning glance, "Sure, I'll be there in twenty."

She hung up and shrugged at Pai, "What the hell is with her?"

Pai's expression was numb, "She lied to you. Someone _was_ in the room with her. But I don't know why she would lie to you."

Ichigo shrugged and walked toward her room, "I'm going to get my stuff and go over there, I'll only be gone for a little while. I just want to see what's bothering her."

"I'm going with you."

Ichigo turned to face him, a skeptical look was on her face, Pai just stared, "I'm 87% sure that the other person in the room was male."

Ichigo shrugged and grabbed her purse, "I don't even wanna' know how you figured that out."

---

A hand squeezed her throat tightly, it was hard to breathe. Lettuce gasped for air as soon as Ichigo hung up the phone.

An alien seized her throat, "Good. That's all I wanted. Was that so hard?"

Lettuce grabbed his hand that squeezed her neck, she coughed and gasped for air. Shinji had transformed into an alien. A certain alien that had escaped the holding cell.

* * *

_**MewMid**: Yeah.. I so played that card. XD Yay mean cliffies!_

**Please R and R and you won't be wondering what happens! :D**


	6. His Death, Kish's chance

_**Description**__: Kish tags along with Pai and Ichigo to Lettuce's house to find out what's going on. When they get there, they realize who the intruder is, and there is a total beat-down... and death. When Kish decides to take a chance and ask Lettuce out, how will she react?_

_**Rating**__: M, there is some serious bloody action. _

_**MewMid**__: For those of you who didn't read the first fic, the intruder is Cray. An evil alien who tried to rape Ichigo because he hates Kish, but has a fatal flaw, he is deathly afraid of Pai. Long story..._

* * *

Their hands were intertwined as they walked down the sidewalk together. Pai was deep in thought as they walked beside each other, he squeezed her warm hand as he thought of the worse case scenarios.

Ichigo frowned and looked up at her dear love, "What's wrong Pai?"

Pai blinked a few times as he came back to reality, "I'm sorry, I was calculating who it could be at Lettuce's house. I can't think of a logical situation in which anyone you or I know would be there."

Ichigo shrugged and before she could say anything, Kish floated down beside them. His bright eyes glowed in the evening light,

"Why hello there!" He said with fake enthusiasm.

Ichigo tilted her head, "What are you doing down here Kish?"

Kish sighed, "Ehh, I was bored and was flying over and happened to see you two love birds. So where are you two off to?"

"We're going to Lettuce's house, she's acting strange."

Kish frowned and landed beside her, "Is it okay if I tag along then?"

The couple nodded, Ichigo elbowed Kish, "Is someone getting a little crush on Lettuce?"

Kish huffed and looked away, "No...Maybe. I'm just messin' with you! Yeah, I'd like her to give me a chance..."

___

_"Pai did this to me."_

He had said coldly, his eyes faded to a more dull blue. Lettuce felt her heart race, so this was the alien that kidnapped Ichigo. Her entire body felt cold, she was scared for her life. His long bony hand slowly loosened around her throat.

"You look a little scared."

Lettuce didn't say anything as she pulled her hands to her chest, she turned her head slightly away from him. Cray scowled and grabbed her jaw,

"What's wrong?! Afraid to look at me?!"

Lettuce whimpered and felt her entire body crumple beneath her. Her legs felt wobbly and she suddenly felt dizzy. She was afraid for her life. Ichigo had told her what this alien did to her, and now she was afraid of what might happen now. Lettuce's eyes teared up, she had no strong alien boyfriend to come rescue her. Ryou didn't care and was probably asleep or working, and Keiichiro left the cafe. She just hoped Ichigo didn't come alone.

Cray's long nails dug into her skin around her jawline, she cringed and tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Don't worry." He said abruptly, she weakly opened her eyes, "-I want the red haired girl, not you. I want revenge on Pai for what he did to me, so I'm going to rip that girl to pieces right in front of you."

Lettuce quietly sobbed, his nails must have been filthy, her skin burned where his nails dug into her soft flesh. A few seconds later they heard a knock at the door. Cray grinned, "I'm going to rape, kill, and cut her into pieces. Are you ready?"

His smile was devious and crazed, he must have had some illness. This alien _was_ insane.

He released her and she dropped to the floor, she shook her head. Her mew pendant was in the other room, she'd never make it.

Cray cautiously approached the door.

Outside the door, Kish fidgeted nervously, "I'm worried now that you told me what you heard!"

Ichigo huffed, "Kish shut up! She's fine, I just want to check on her."

Cray heard Kish's voice and paused. "No..." He whispered, slowly taking steps backwards, away from the door.

Kish took a deep breath, "I'm not waiting, she can get mad all she wants but I'm teleporting in there."

He did so and Kish froze when he saw Cray. The two had their eyes locked on each other, Kish didn't believe who he was seeing. Then came his fury. Kish grit his teeth together and was in a rampage within seconds.

The green haired alien surged forward toward the lanky alien. Cray screamed and turned away. Kish had him on the ground within seconds. Kish's fists connected with Cray's body from every conceivable direction.

Pai and Ichigo heard the commotion and Pai teleported them inside. Lettuce covered her face with her hands and sobbed aloud. Ichigo ran over to the laundary room and dove to the ground beside Lettuce. Ichigo knelt beside her and hugged her tightly, "You're okay Lettuce! It's okay!"

Pai stalked over and stood beside the two fighters, he slowly placed his foot on Cray's throat. Kish had turned him over so Cray would have the pleasure of seeing the punches coming his way. Kish grabbed Cray's jaw and dragged his nails over his skin, little trails of blood appearing shortly afterward.

"Do you like that?! You sick fuck!" Kish screamed at him, attacking him with another flurry of punches. Cray yelped and continued to flinch and attempt to cover his face. Pai removed his foot from crushing Cray's windpipe and attended to the two girls.

Ichigo nodded at him, "I think she'll be okay, she's just scratched up."

Pai nodded and turned back to the scuffle, or better yet, the beat-down.

Pai nudged Kish with his knee and motioned for them to take Cray into the back yard. Kish grabbed Cray's neck and pulled him to his feet, "Get up you piece of shit."

Cray shook his head and whimpered, "Kish, don't....I'm... I'm sorry, I have a problem..."

Kish grit his teeth and squeezed his throat, "You're damn right you have a problem! You're about to die, and I get to have the pleasure of being there and participating."

Pai helped Kish drag the broken alien out into the back yard. Cray sputtered through blood and his now broken jaw and cheekbone. Kish dropped the sick alien onto the ground and glared down at him.

Lettuce shook her head and tried to stand up, "Ichigo, no, don't let them kill him..."

Ichigo grabbed her arm and held her in place, "Lettuce, You have no idea what he was going to do to you and I. He needs to die. It's okay. Just let it go."

Lettuce cried and nodded, "I'm sorry, you're right... He... all he wanted was you.. he told me what he was going to do... Oh god Ichigo!" She sobbed and hugged the red haired girl close. Ichigo held her and stroked her hair,

"It's okay Lettuce..."

Kish summoned his daggers and stabbed Cray through the shoulder and into the ground. Cray yelled and writhed around like a worm that had been sliced. Pai held his hand out and Kish handed him the other sai. Pai leaned down to Cray's bleeding face, "Any last words?"

Cray then grinned madly, "That girlfriend of yours felt pretty good, almost worth dying for."

Pai swiftly swung his arm across his body, slicing Cray's neck along the way. His neck bled profusely and Cray managed one last chuckle before the blood seeped into his lungs.

Pai and Kish watched as Cray's life ended, and the manic smile faded for the last time. After watching him take his last breath, the duo went back inside. Ichigo had Lettuce on her feet and drinking a glass of water. When she saw Kish and Pai she dropped the glass and it shattered on the ground.

Kish quickly went to her and pulled her close to him, his arms around her back. He squeezed her tight and put his cheek to hers, "It's okay...He's gone.."

Lettuce sobbed uncontrollably and hugged Kish, "Th-thank you ki-"

"I would do anything to protect you...I'll always be here for you." Kish said calmly, feeling his own eyes tear up.

Ichigo turned and hugged Pai, she smiled warmly up at him, "Sound familiar?"

Pai sighed and shook his head, "It's true."

Kish released Lettuce enough so he could look her in the eyes, she sniffed and blushed at the eye contact. He bit his lip as he observed her little scratches along her jawline. Lettuce wiped the corners of her eyes and weakly smiled, "Tha-Thank you Kish-san, I- I can never repay you."

Kish smiled a wide happy smile, "I want to ask you for a favor."

Lettuce nodded and wiped her wet cheeks, "Of course."

The green haired alien took a deep breath and tried to relax his quivering nerves, "I would like to know, if you would give me the chance to prove how much I care about you. I want to be here for you, and get to know you better than anyone else. You're an amazing girl, and I want to show you how much I have to share."

Lettuce froze and looked into his bright eyes, Kish felt lost for a moment. There was a tense silence. Ichigo squeezed Pai's hand and tensed up. Kish felt his hopes grow distant as the seconds passed. Lettuce blinked back a few stray tears and opened her mouth to speak-

* * *

_**MewMid:**__BOOM! I'm evil..I know it...You know it... Just keep readin'! :3 If you leave reviews, I won't leave you hanging. XD_

**R and freaking R! Haha, that sounded mean... RAWR I'm a me-owl. XD**


	7. Early Problems

_**Description:**__ Lettuce gives Kish a chance and they start dating. Meanwhile, Ryou realizes what he did was wrong, and is wracked with guilt over his fight with Keiichiro. The chef didn't come into work for two days, the cafe was hectic. The story doesn't end here, they meet a strange new alien, with a huge problem. _

_**Rating**__: T just to be safe... I have a cursing problem.._

_**MewMid**__: Yeah, I definitely didn't want it to end there, get ready for the drama! RAWR!_

* * *

_ "I want to show you how much I have to share, you're an amazing girl Lettuce..."_

Kish felt like he couldn't breath after he spoke those words. The long silence seemed without end. A wave of relief and excitement passed over him as her face suddenly lit up with a beautiful smile.

"Of course Kish! I-I would love that." She said wiping the last of her tears from her pink cheeks. Kish then rushed forward and squeezed her, earning him a giggle from his new girlfriend. Ichigo laughed and bounced,

"Awww! I'm so happy for you guys!"

---

A week later...

The cafe was about to close and Keiichiro had finally come back. But Ryou couldn't bring himself to leave his room. He had become similar to a troglodyte for the last few days, never leaving his room. He groaned and ran one hand through his hair, he had to go downstairs. He knew it.

The girls were happy to see Keiichiro back in his normal routine, and had all told him that they loved him back. Keiichiro was delighted to return to his position and went on working like usual. He wanted to talk to Ryou, but didn't feel as though now was the time.

The chef was also glad to hear that Lettuce had finally found someone to be with that truly cared about her. Although he had feelings for her himself, he was just fine seeing her happy.

Ryou slowly and reluctantly made his way downstairs, he looked terrible. He hadn't slept well in days, and most likely hadn't showered either. He had just laid in bed all day and barely moved.

He pushed through the swinging doors into the kitchen and moped over to the small table. Keiichiro took notice of his presence, but didn't say a word. He wanted to make amends, but not if he was the only one making an attempt. Keiichiro felt that him coming back to work was his own first move.

The young blond took a deep breath, "Keiichiro..."

The brunette continued preparing dishes, "Hmmm?"

"I'm sorry."

Keiichiro paused, he wasn't expecting such an abrupt apology. He was frozen, tons of thoughts rushing though his mind. Ryou continued,

"I'm sorry I was such a dick the other day. I didn't mean to make false accusations about you, especially in front of the girls. And, you were right. I do have relationship problems, and I have been being immature about them."

Keiichiro turned to face his old friend and smiled weakly, "I'm sorry I made that lewd comment too."

Ryou smiled and stood up, he walked over and shook hands with his old friend.

"Thank you Keiichiro, I'm glad you're back."

Keiichiro shook his hand in return and smiled warmly, "I'm glad too."

Out in the cafe, Lettuce bounced happily from table Kish had been a total gentleman the entire week. She was ecstatic when four o' clock came around and it was time to close the cafe, she was going to hang out with Kish that night.

After closing the cafe and Ryou and Keiichiro's reconciliation, the girls all headed home. Each looking forward to what was waiting for them.

Lettuce hummed as she approached her house, a big smile on her face. Her favorite alien happened to be sitting on her rooftop, smiling a big toothy grin at her as she approached the house. Kish flew off the roof and landed softly in front of her,

"Hey there." He said cooly, the cheesy grin never leaving his face. Lettuce blushed and giggled as he closed the gap,

"What Kish?"

Kish chuckled, "You're so cute in your cafe uniform!"

Her blush only grew darker as he took her hand and led her inside. The two enjoyed a wonderful evening together, and dozed off together on her sofa watching some sad movie.

Kish was suddenly in the cafe. It was dim, and it seemed as if no one was there.

"Hey! Is anyone here?" He yelled into the silent cafe. He walked toward the kitchen and glanced through the window. No one.

He then heard footsteps coming from the stairwell. Kish glanced over and looked up the staircase, it was Ichigo.

"Hey there." She said with a slight smile. Kish took a deep breath,

"What's going on? Where is everyone?"

Ichigo looked at him as though she didn't comprehend what he was saying, "Kish, the cafe has been closed for months. Don't you remember?"

The green haired alien felt extremely nervous suddenly. His palms began to sweat,

"Wait! What happened?"

Ichigo giggled slightly and approached him, she was uncomfortably close now. Kish took a step back and looked down at her. The redhead tilted her head,

"What's wrong Kish?"

Kish shook his head, "Nothing, I just want to know what happened."

His entire body felt tense for some reason, he felt like it was becoming harder and harder to move. It was like his feet her stuck to the ground and he couldn't look away from Ichigo. Her lips seperated in a tiny smile, Kish felt mesmorized. Something was very wrong here.

"Where's Pai?"

Ichigo walked up to him and placed her hands on Kish's hips, "Pai left me, remember?"

Kish shook his head and grabbed her hands and slowly removed them from his hips, "No, I don't remember Ichigo, what the hell is going on?!"

Ichigo reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, "Kish, I miss you."

His entire body felt uncomfortably warm, his throat felt tight and he just froze. All his muscles tingled, he couldn't move. Ichigo nuzzled his jaw and whispered in his ear.

"Kish, come back to me."

Kish flinched and gently pushed Ichigo away, "Ichigo, I'm with Lettuce. I think I love her, I can't come back."

Ichigo suddenly looked extremely upset, "But, you've always loved me! You're supposed to be mine!"

Kish cringed and took a deep breath. He jerked awake quickly on Lettuce's couch. The sun was peering though the blinds. His forehead beaded with sweat and his heart raced. The alien shook his head and took a deep breath. Lettuce was not next to him, but he could smell something delicious from her kitchen. He pulled himself to his feet, a little wobbly from his dream scaring him.

He came into her kitchen and smiled when he saw her cooking. Kish walked over and wrapped his arms around her, "Good morning." He whispered, planting a tiny kiss on her cheek.

Lettuce blushed and giggled, "Good morning Kish! I have to go to work today, would you like to walk me to work, maybe?"

Kish nuzzled her cheek and hummed, "Of couse I want to walk you to work."

After eating breakfast and getting ready, Lettuce departed with Kish by her side. Their hands were locked together with intertwined fingers. Lettuce couldn't stop smiling, she felt happy that she had given him a chance. Kish really was a sweetheart.

When they entered the cafe, there was a huge commotion. The green haired couple was very confused but then walked up to the circle of people. Their friends were in a circle talking to some girl. Kish gently nudged Mint aside and looked at this person. His heart raced and he felt a chill run up his spine.

It was an alien. Her name was Kiba. Her hair was long and a gorgeous shade of black with feathery bangs. Her eyes were different colors, one bright pink, the other a tropical teal. Her ears were long and pointed like Pai, Kish, and Tarts. When she saw Kish, she smiled and ran over to him. Before Kish could protest, she hugged him,

"Kish! How have you been?"

Kish was at a loss of words, he looked over at Pai. Pai fought the urge to grin at him. Ichigo tugged at Pai's forearm sleeve,

"Why is Kish all freaked out about her? She seems really sweet."

Pai looked down at Ichigo and smiled with his eyes, "That's Kish's ex-girlfriend."

* * *

_**MewMid**__: Muahaha! Yes, Kiba is Kish's ex. But don't worry, she didn't come here to sabotage he and Lettuce's relationship. She's here for another important reason. Here's her bio just for shits and giggles:_

** Kiba**: DNA- Alien

**Age**: Around 16, (I can't imagine that the aliens keep time the same way we do.)

**Height**: about 5'8" she's kinda tall.

**Weight**: about 123lbs, she's a stick.

**Personality**: Since you've just met her she may seem like a sue, but believe me, she's not. She is sweet, and kind toward just about everyone, but is not opinionated and is very indecisive. To be frank, she's weak minded and allows people to walk all over her and control her. If you ask her to do a simple task, she will feel obligated to do it, even if you aren't her friend or even know her. She has low self esteem, she's stick thin, has almost no curves, and has really long legs. Yes, her eyes are two different colors, and her alien outfit looks similar to Tart's, but is pink and Indigo. Kiba also convinces herself she's happy and in love. With who? You must keep reading. She's married. :O

**R and R!**


	8. Kiba's problem, Kish Stresses

_**Description**__: Kiba is Kish's ex girlfriend and has come to Earth out of curiosity, and to escape. Kish freaks out a little bit and feels like he has to explain a lot to Lettuce. Kiba shares a starteling fact with them, and everyone seems to panic. _

_**Rating**__: T- eh.. I guess cursing... _

* * *

Kish took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. His ex-girlfriend was in the cafe, right now, why?

"So, uhm, Kiba, what exactly are you doing on Earth?"

Kish asked hesitantly, her smile faded just a little. Kiba shrugged and looked down, "Well...I went to your ship, and none of you guys were there. So I decided, why not go to Earth and look around. I think Earth is beautiful, and I just wanted to visit with you guys since I hadn't seen any of you in years."

Mint scoffed, "Why do you have a tattoo? Aren't you only like, sixteen?"

Kiba seemed to freeze, as did Pai, Kish, and Tart. Kish looked down at her stomach, "Kiba..."

She seemed suddenly ashamed and withdrawn. Pai saw the intricate design on her stomach as well. The tattoo's appearance was difficult to describe, almost like vines, twisted around tibal patterns. But it seemed unnatural and bizarre.

Kiba pulled her arms to her body and wouldn't look up into the eyes of any of the people around her. Kish shook his head and looked at Pai, Pai was looking at Kiba,

"Kiba, you're bonded?"

Kiba reluctantly looked up at the dark alien, she weakly nodded. Pai's expression was complete bewilderment, "Who is it?"

Kiba seemed to take a deep breath and suddenly appear nervous, "I'm...it's Kuya."

Kish seemed to instantly panic, his eyes growing wide. Tart just stared, not believing what he was hearing. The mews were all confused beyond belief. Ichigo looked over at Lettuce and gave her a questioning glance, Lettuce shrugged.

There was a long silence, Kiba then glanced over at the clock. She suddenly seemed in a hurry, "I've got to leave, I'll come back and explain everything tomorrow. I'm sorry."

She then teleported out of sight, leaving everyone in shock.

"What the hell was that?!" Ichigo snapped turning to face Pai. Pai looked at Kish, who looked as though he was about to pass out.

Pai took a deep breath and Tart shook his head as Pai began explaining.

"Kiba is an old friend of ours, we all grew up together, she is Kish's age. The-"

"What is up with her tattoo? What is bonding?!" Mint yelled, interrupting him. Pai took a deep breath,

"In our world, bonding is similar to marriage of your people. But it not reversible unless your partner dies. She is bonded to someone we know. The male she mentioned is Kuya, he is Cray's father."

There seemed to be gasps around the room. Zakuro interjected, "He has to be much older than her correct? That alien, Cray, seemed like he could have been at least my age."

Pai nodded and ran his hand though his hair, "It was most likely an arranged bonding, they are rare in our society, but if the family has poor fortune, then sometimes it must be done. Kiba is around 16 in your years, Kuya would be at least 37 in your years."

Another gasp was heard around the room. Kish reluctantly spoke up, "She was, my first love. We were together two years ago, and it was nothing really serious." He turned toward Lettuce, "-I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

Lettuce stared at him for a few seconds and then nodded, "I understand, I know I'm not your first girlfriend Kish... you can explain everything to me later."

Tart took a deep struggled breath, "I don't believe it! Freaking Kuya?!"

Ichigo then felt nervous, "Wait, you said Kuya was Cray's dad?! Isn't he pissed?! You and Kish killed him!"

Lettuce looked over at Pai, a worried expression on her features. Purin shifted uncomfortably, reaching out and grasping Tart's hand.

Pai was quiet for a few moments, "Well... The way I calculate it, I know Kuya isn't a particularly friendly one. I haven't known him to be vengeful, but since it was his son, he may seek revenge. But Kuya was always ashamed of Cray and his behavior, but still... It was his son."

"So you might have to kill Kuya too?!" Mint snapped, pushing herself around Kish and Lettuce. Zakuro nodded,

"Will he come here to find us?"

Pai shook his head, "He might. But he wouldn't be after you girls, he is nothing like Cray in that sense. He is respectable, and obviously has Kiba. He isn't the type to go hunt for more women, especially humans. He dispises us for being here and being with you girls. If he does come to Earth, we will not be able to defeat him. Kuya is very powerful. He would most likely kill us."

Ichigo huffed and walked around a bit, "So you guys killed his son and now he might come down here?! Oh god..."

Lettuce grabbed Kish's arm and carefully spoke up, "Would you all three together be able to defeat him if he comes here?"

Pai looked over at her and stared for a moment, "No."

At the worst timing, Keiichiro and Ryou came down from upstairs and entered the conversation. It was tense as Pai explained everything to Ryou and Keiichiro.

---

Kiba flinched when she heard the sliding steel door open. She was in the small kitchen on their section of the ship. Kuya walked through the home silently. Kiba stopped fixing the meal and turned toward the main room. Kuya walked over into the kitchen. The stagnant pause was broken by Kiba shyly speaking,

"Are you okay?"

Kuya just stared at her. His hair was a dark gray with a purple tint, and he had dark violet eyes. His uniform was a light gray and a light maroon color. He blinked and held eye contact,

"No."

Kiba frowned and fidgeted with her hands, "I'm making food."

"I'm going to Earth."

She felt suddenly anxious and worrisome, "Why?!"

Kuya's numb expression didn't change, "Those humans killed my son. I will go and kill the two who murdered him, and then you will provide me with a new son."

Kiba took a deep breath and held it, "But-"

"No. Cray may have been a bastard, but was still my son by blood."

Kiba sighed as he walked passed her and pulled open a steel box looking thing. He pulled out this wierd metal container with a liquid in it. He silently took a drink, she felt angry and pushed over.

"I'm not ready for that."

"For young?"

Kiba shook her head, "No."

Kuya stared over at her blankly, "That's why you have 7 months to prepare."

(MewMid: I'm making the alien pregancy last 7 months, because they are a different species than us. And yes, the way they talk is kind of different...)

Kiba huffed and felt her eyes tear up, "You- You can't make me do that if I'm not ready."

Kuya ignored the question and walked out of the room. As he was walking into their sleeping quarters, he retorted, "You can, and will, it is your duty as a female."

Kiba sunk to her knees and covered her face. Tears welled up in her eyes, why couldn't she live on Earth and be happy like those mews?

She tried to keep quiet, she leaned back against the cabinets and sobbed silently. Only tiny gasps of breath could be heard. Within a few minutes, Kuya returned to the kitchen and knelt in front of her.

He observed her for a few moments. Kiba knew of his presence, but didn't want to look up. Kuya reached out with a long slender hand and wiped her cheek. Kiba turned her head away from him. She laid the right side of her face on her knees and closed her eyes. Tears fell from her eyes. His hand then stroked her hair, "It is your duty to your people, do not be upset."

---

The day at the cafe was far from normal that day. Everyone was deep in thought, especially Ryou. He didn't know how to handle another powerful alien coming to Earth and starting more fights.

The girls felt drained and worried about tomorrow and Kiba's return. Especially Lettuce.

The green haired girl was deep in thought, was Kiba his former lover? No... they were far too young... Or were they?! Was it different for their society?

"Excuse me miss?"

Lettuce flinched and looked over at one of her customers, it was some young couple.

"We've been waiting for a while now."

"Sorry sir, I'm on my way."

The day was stressful for the girls and they were all relieved to get home that night. Ryou hadn't appeared all day.

Kish groaned and ran his hands through his hair, he was a nervous wreck. Tart huffed as he took a sip of a soda he had taken from Purin's house.

"What's eating you?" Tart asked in a sarcastic tone. Kish sighed and shook his head, wringing his hands,

"Tart I feel really guilty."

"About Kiba?"

Kish shook his head again and bit his lip, "I had a dream last night about Ichigo."

Tart was quiet and just continued sipping the soda, Kish rolled his eyes.

"I don't know what it means Tart! I'm freaking out and feel really guilty."

Tart shrugged, "Well do you miss her?"

Kish grit his teeth and shot a death glare at Tart, "No! I don't, I love Lettuce. I mean, I guess it could be because I know Ichigo is attractive, but Lettuce is gorgeous too! I just don't know why I would have a dream like that."

Tart made a disgusted face, "What happened?"

"She like, was all over me and told me she and Pai broke up and that she wanted me."

Tart chuckled and took a swig of soda. Kish glared at him again, "Tart! It's not fucking funny. I'm really stressing out."

The young alien sighed and huffed at his older brother, "Look, just don't tell Lettuce, and ignore it. It's just a dream, it's not a big deal."

---

When Ichigo got home she threw down her things and flopped down on the couch. Pai sat at the end of the sofa and chuckled when she did so. Ichigo groaned, "Pai what are we going to do?"

Pai sat quiet for a few moments,

"I'm not sure."

---

Lettuce smiled as she was glomped by a certain green haired alien. Kish squeezed her and pulled her over to her sofa to sit her down and explain everything.

"Listen Lettuce, I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Kiba. It just slipped my mind."

Lettuce nodded and clasped her hands together and listened to his explanations. Kish took a deep breath, "She and I didn't do anything, we were just stupid kids that thought we liked each other. We weren't in love, we just decided to date 'cause we had little crushes on each other. I don't miss her, nor love her. I want only you, and I just don't want you to be mad or upset that I didn't tell you."

Lettuce sat quiet for a few moments, she felt relieved and happy, but just a little part of her still felt jealous. Kish frowned at her silence, "Well?"

She smiled and nodded, "I believe you, I'm sorry... I've never really felt jealous before and told anyone."

"Why on Earth would you be jealous?!"

Lettuce felt uncomfortable telling him the reasons, she felt like he may just up and leave when she tells him.

"I'm... just... I mean, she's your species, she's so pretty, and so sweet... I just feel like.. Maybe she's better than me. I don't understand why you picked me..."

Kish reached out and yanked her into a tight hug, his voice quivered.

"Don't ever say that again. She is not nearly as pretty as you, and you're the sweetest girl I know. _No one_ is better than you in the galaxy Lettuce."

Lettuce smiled and felt her eyes water, tears of joy began to roll down her cheeks. She embraced her alien, she felt silly for ever being jealous.

---

The next day...

Once Kuya had left for his 'job' , Kiba teleported to Earth. She approached the cafe and took a deep breath. Today was the day she had to tell her old friends what had happened to her. Kiba had no idea what to do about Kuya wanting another child. She was secretly panicking. No matter how friendly the big pink cafe looked, she felt utterly intimidated.

* * *

_**MewMid**__: Not really a cliffie, but Kiba will explain her situation, and someone might get home from work early... Kuya's bio:_

**Kuya**: DNA- Alien

**Age**: Around 37, yeah, creepy...

**Height**: 6'2" He's a little shorter than Pai.

**Weight**: only 200lbs, but solid muscle.

**Personality**: Kuya seems like robot, even more so than Pai. He shows no compassion for anyone except Kiba, and even she doesn't get much. Pai was right, he isn't normally vengeful, but is because Cray was his son. But he is Cray's only living relative left, Cray's mother died giving birth to Cray. Kuya went for years without replacing her, and then Kiba's family was struggling with their 'career' and decided to offer her to Kuya if he would help them. Kuya deliberated and decided he would take Kiba. Kuya is an engineer, he is always designing weapons and more ships for their race. Kuya does give Kiba attention, and isn't abusive, directly. Also, his power pertains to wind and he fights with a staff.

** The tattoo.... **

_ The way I wanted to set the little 'tattoo thing' up is- they would call marriage, "Bonding" in their society. The male alien would have a special way of making his mate, his, forever. He would bite her wherever he pleased and a small intricate design would appear on her skin slowly. The only way to rid of this is if the male dies. So Kiba is bonded to Kuya forever unless he dies. The tattoo gives him no power over her, but it shows that she belongs to a male and isn't to be touched by anyone but him. The tattoos are all different, kind of like zebra stripes. They are just winding patterns that sometimes can resemble vines and flowers, but have no real specific design. _


	9. A Terrible Fight

_**Description**__: Kuya comes to Earth and creates a terrible storm. Pai and Kish know they have to face him or he will begin destroying buildings. So they leave and are forced to face off against this powerful alien._

_**Rating**__: T+ violence._

* * *

The wind began to howl outside the houses. The sky had been dark for the last few days, but not like this. Kish felt cold and lethargic as he stared out the window. Lettuce was next to him, setting up a lunch.

Kish knew this wind wasn't natural. He took a deep breath and turned toward the green haired girl. Her deep blue eyes locked onto his bright amber ones. Kish shook his head,

"I can't stay. But you already know don't you?"

Lettuce's eyes teared up, and she looked back at the small setup before her. She moved the plates and dishes to line up perfectly. Kish leaned in and kissed her cheek. Lettuce slowly turned to face him again.

"Please... Kish-"

"I have to go. I'm sorry."

He pulled her into a firm embrace and felt his own eyes tear up. Lettuce cried silently, she didn't want him to go fight. Not again.

Kish kissed her one more passionate time and then stood up, "No matter what happens, don't leave this house until this evening. When the storm is over, the fight will be over. Stay here, please."

Kish smiled once more at her before teleporting. Leaving Lettuce to cry to herself in worry for her new found love.

Meanwhile...

Pai sat up off the couch, the dismal day had made he and Ichigo tired. He gently moved her aside and stretched. Calmly, he turned and leaned down beside the napping catgirl. Pai took a deep breath of her scent, it was so fresh and lively. The tall alien kissed her forehead and nuzzled her cheek before standing, and teleporting. He knew it would just be harder if she was awake.

Kish and Pai met up outside Tokyo Park. They figured Kuya would come to a public place and create havoc. The wind whipped and howled throughout the park. Not a soul dared trespass here in this storm.

The sky was dark and threatened to rain, Kish frowned when he looked into the center of the park. On a lonely sidewalk stood Kuya, his eyes dark and his hair whipping about. Pai pointed,

"Lets go."

The duo approached Kuya and stood before him. Kuya's expression was numb and emotionless. Kish bit his lip as Pai yelled through the powerful wind,

"Kuya! We don't have to fight! What Cray did was terrible, and unforgivable! Please, let it go!"

Kish stared with a little hope at the dark alien. Kuya shook his head and yelled back at them,

"No! You two will pay with your lives for what you've done!" Kuya began approaching them slowly. Kish felt nervous about Kuya's calm approach and summoned his sai. Pai walked toward him and summoned his fan. Kuya's staff appeared in his left hand as he grit his teeth and ran towards Pai.

Pai and Kuya swung madly at each other, Kuya could dodge Pai's fan much easier than Pai could dodge Kuya's staff. Pai was struck on the side of his body, his ribs creaked beneath the pressure. Pai doubled over onto one knee, and Kish rushed forward. His daggers swung wildly at Kuya, without so much as scratching him. A few swings tore Kuya's clothing and caused him to take a few steps back, but no hit landed on Kuya's body.

Kish grit his teeth, becoming infuriated with the alien. Kuya struck Kish in the jaw and sent him to the ground like a crumpled leaf. Pai had regained his composure and leapt onto Kuya, his long slender hands around the gray haired aliens' throat. Pai squeezed and tried to crush the alien's windpipe, but it was no use. Kuya still clasped his staff and struck Pai on the left side of his face, Pai fell aside clasping his now bleeding cheekbone.

Kish dove in before Kuya could stand and attempted to stab the alien, he barely grazed the alien's side and received a fist to his right eye. Kish yelped, but continued stabbing and swinging at Kuya. Kuya grabbed one of Kish's arms and pulled him, at the same time, he lifted his leg and delivered a kick to Kish's chest. The green haired alien screamed and fell to his knees before the alien, his chest burning from the impact.

Pai flew over Kish and struck Kuya on the left side, sending him flying to the right. Pai helped Kish to his feet and then the two flew at Kuya. Pai swung his fan,

"Fuu Rai Sen!"

Streaks of lightning swung around Pai's fan and bolted toward Kuya, the alien spun his staff around his body and deflected the lightning. Kish flew into Kuya and tackled him to the ground, Kish landed one punch on the aliens jaw and then flew aside. Kuya was back on his feet within seconds.

Kuya flew toward Pai and took him down to the ground. Kuya delivered a punch to Pai's throat. The violet haired alien gasped for air and swung at the older alien. Kuya easily dodged Pai's attack and then before he could attack, had arms wrapped around his upper body. Kish struggled to pull Kuya off of Pai. This bought Pai enough time to stand up.

Rain began to fall. Pai rushed forward and slammed his fist into Kuya's cheek, and then another to Kuya's throat. Kuya coughed and gasped for air, but sent his elbow back into Kish's diaphragm. Kish recoiled and released Kuya. Kuya swung his staff and struck Pai on his left ribcage, Pai winced and recoiled as well. But Kuya rushed forward and began hitting and striking Pai from every conceivable direction before he could react.

After regaining his composure, Kish flew towards Kuya. Kuya turned around and swung his staff at Kish. Kish grabbed the staff and flew over the attempted blow, and clawed Kuya across the face. Kuya then grabbed Kish by the neck and dropped his staff.

The gray haired alien flew into the air a few feet and crushed Kish's neck with both hands. Kish writhed and struggled. He gasped for air, rain pouring down over him. Water got into his eyes and made it hard to see his enemy. Kuya then shook Kish around violently, before tossing him across the grass and into a nearby park bench. The bench crushed and collapsed beneath the sudden weight.

Kish whimpered and coughed on the broken wood. Everything was blurry and stung.

Pai struggled to pull himself off the ground, but a swift kick to his stomach made him collapse. Pai's violet hair stuck to his forehead in dreaded strands. His body felt cold, but somehow burned from the forming bruises and cuts.

Kuya used his foot and pushed Pai onto his back. Pai laid quietly on the soaked earth. Kuya shook his head, "And now- You'll join Cray in the underworld."

Pai winced, expecting a blow to the ribs or face. The rain was so loud now that he lay here in pain.

"Ribbon Strawberry Surprise!"

Pai opened his eyes at the sound of her sweet voice. A bright blast sent Kuya flying across the grassy patch. A deep relieved breath entered Pai's lungs. Ichigo rushed over to Pai's side as he attempted to sit up.

The red haired girl held him, her eyes looked watery, but he couldn't tell in all this rain. Ichigo nodded, "It's okay now. We came for you guys."

Kuya slowly struggled to his feet, he brushed some grass off of him and glared over at his attacker. But suddenly paused. Something was familiar.

Memories suddenly infiltrated his brain and made him remember the day his wife died. Her long cream colored hair shone in the dismal medical bay of the master ship. Kuya remembered holding her small hand and smiling warmly as their son was born. She had smiled once more at him as her life faded.

Kuya stared in disbelief. He suddenly felt heartbroken for them. Those feelings had been buried for so long, they now felt even more painful and real than ever before.

Kish's body suddenly collided with Kuya's sending the two hurtling toward the ground. Lettuce stood over by the broken bench with her hands clasped together.

Kish pulled his dagger out and held it above his head, "You're turn. You'll die just like that piece of shit son of yours!"

Before Kish could drive that cold dagger into Kuya's throat, two hands grabbed ahold of his wrists. Kish struggled and stood and turned toward the interruption. It was Kiba.

The black haired alien was soaked and had her hands clamped onto Kish's wrists. She shook her head, her eyes bloodshot and upset looking,

"Kish, please don't. I know you want to, but please, don't kill him!"

She begged, her voice cracking into a sob. Kish pulled his arms in an attempt to get her away, she clung to him for a few moments and then was tossed aside. Kiba collapsed to the ground, she whimpered as Kuya stood up. Kish screamed at her through the loud storm, Lettuce suddenly called out to him,

"Kish, don't do it!"

Kish grit his teeth, Kuya stood behind him, wiping blood from his cheek. Ichigo and Pai watched silently in horror. Kish yelled out at his love,

"It _has_ to be done. He deserves it!"

Pai suddenly yelled at him, "Kish!"

Just as Kish turned, Kuya seized his throat with crushing force. Kish growled and grabbed the hand that held him. Pai rushed over to the scene and yanked Kiba from the ground.

Kuya held up his staff and threatened to strike Kish in the skull, but hesitated. He remembered his thoughts of his wife, and the memories they had before he lost her to a son. The son that turned out to be a monster.

Pai grabbed Kiba's small body and clasped a hand on her jaw, he whispered into her ear quietly, "Play along."

Pai squeezed the frail girls jaw and glared at Kuya, "Kuya! Release him!"

Kuya's attention suddenly was on Pai and his young wife. He stared as though he didn't understand what was going on. As if Pai's words didn't make sense.

"Kuya! I said release him!" Pai demanded of the dark alien that held his brother, "-Unless you want to lose a second wife! I'll break her neck." Pai's threat was bitter and fierce, his dark amethyst eyes locked on Kuya's. For a few moments, there was just the roar of rainfall. They all stood in silence.

Kuya's head lowered slightly and he released Kish's throat, sending the alien to the ground gasping for air and holding his throat. Pai seemed to perk up, and dropped Kiba to the ground. She fell onto her hands and knees and coughed. Kuya stared down at her, a hurt expression on his face. Kish crawled back away from the alien, his throat throbbing.

Lettuce rushed over and knelt beside Kish, keeping her body facing Kuya in case of attack. Kish just glared at the gray haired alien. Kuya's eyes were locked on Kiba's. She felt confused, slowly she pulled herself to her feet, as soon as she was standing. Kuya almost appeared right in front of her.

Kiba felt her body grow warm as the alien pulled her to him, his long arms going around her body. Pai turned and looked back at Ichigo, a slight smile appeared on her lips. The cat girl rushed over to Pai and embraced him.

Kuya's head was hung low, Kiba's gaze was over his left shoulder into the cloudy sky. Tears fell down her cheeks, but couldn't be seen in the downpour. Kuya's voice was quiet, and sounded as though he was hurt or upset.

"I'm sorry Kiba. I am sorry for the way that I am. I've just always felt alone since the day my wife died. But I've been so blinded by false loneliness, that I've failed to see what a treasure has been put in front of me."

Kiba sobbed onto his shoulder, his words broke her heart. Kuya then leaned back and looked into her sad eyes.

"If you want, you can stay here on Earth with them. I will understand."

Kiba thought for a few moments, and then really took in all the hurt of the alien before her.

Lettuce helped Kish to his feet, the two intently staring at the alien couple.

Kiba lowered her head and shook it, water droplets scattered around her. Kuya just stared silently. Kiba lifted her head with a weak smile, "Kuya, I won't leave you. You deserve someone to love you just as much as you loved your wife. I'm sorry for all our hardships too, I love you."

* * *

_**MewMid**__: Awww so cute! XD And brutal! I felt like mending Kuya and Kiba's relationship, and now on to all the fluffy romantic chapters! XD Yay lovey-ness!_

**R and R! Or my 'Me-owl' will find you! X3**


End file.
